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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · land · bowl · track · stem · ruler · lash · plane

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. land — ground
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — a country
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — music
  23. land — to come down
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com